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Sydney AFL Round 11 2018

SYDNEY AFL ROUND 11 2018Article by Michael Shillito

As we move deeper into June, the ladder looks to be taking shape. It’s still mathematically possible for everyone to make the finals; but realistically we’re down to six teams who are finals chances. One of them will miss out. And that battle for finals positions is very tight; with each win against a fellow finals contender extremely valuable.
And although it didn’t boost their position on the ladder, the finals aspirations of Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs received a massive lift on Saturday afternoon at Henson Park when they claimed the scalp of second-placed Pennant Hills.
Rain during the week had softened the ground, but Saturday was sunny with no significant influence by the wind. Much of the scoring was at one end, but that was more due to the fluctuating fortunes of the day and momentum shifts than any intervention by the elements.
The Bulldogs were looking good early, showing the resolve they needed to take the fight up to the defending champions. The Demons had their opportunities, but found themselves under pressure from an enthusiastic UNSW-ES side that sensed a chance to get a strong start on the board. And with three goals to two in the first term, the Bulldogs held a seven-point advantage at quarter time.
After the break, it was the Demons’ turn to lift, and exert themselves into the contest. The Bulldogs were forced onto the defensive, and incursions into their forward 50 were rare in the second term. The Demons didn’t have everything their own way in the midfield, but were sending the ball forward more regularly and their forwards were getting more chances to create something on the scoreboard. Three unanswered goals would go the Demons’ way in the second term, as they turned their quarter time deficit into a 10-point lead at the long break.
But having got on top in the second term, the Demons went back into their shell in the third, and the spark they had in the second term was barely evident in the third. Meanwhile the Bulldogs lifted, as whatever was said behind closed doors in the rooms at half time had the desired effect. The Bulldogs were backing themselves to kick goals from a fair way out, and it didn’t always come off as the goal umpire raised a single flag on several occasions. But often enough the confidence was rewarded as four goals to one was registered and the Bulldogs were clear by 12 points at the last change.
But there were plenty more twists in this tale. Often when a game is tight we see teams go on the defensive and seek to lock the other out. But this time the final quarter produced the most enterprising footy for the day, a shootout in which the possibility of further scoring kept the faithful from both teams on the edge of their seats until the final seconds. The Demons were coming hard, looking to snatch the result from the fire as they have so often before. But the Bulldogs had the answers to any challenge that would come their way. It was four goals to three in favour of the Demons in the final term, but the Bulldogs were clinging tight to a five-point margin in their favour when the final siren finally sounded.
Matt Rawlinson, Justin Cann and Jack Blair were magnificent for the Bulldogs; but all of them applied themselves well to the contest and played their role when it was needed. The Bulldogs remain in fourth place, behind Manly on percentage. But they go a game clear of fifth, and the other teams around them on the ladder still have a game against Pennant Hills to come. More important is the psychological boost that will come their way after knocking off one of the competition’s powerhouse teams.
It was a shock loss for the Demons. Aaron Crisfield, Tom Angel and Michael Carroll were best for the Demons, but in the end they fell agonisingly short. They remain in second place, still a game clear of the challenging pack of teams; but have fallen two games behind North Shore in the race for the minor premiership.

North Shore’s two-game break on top of the ladder was achieved as they recorded a 44-point win over East Coast Eagles. It was a home game for the Bombers on the Eagles’ ground; but the Bombers took control of the venue from the start with an explosive opening term that put the game beyond doubt very early.
From the first bounce, the Bombers were the dominant force. There were winners all over the ground, while the Eagles were chasing their tails as the game was put out of reach in the early exchanges. It was North Shore at their unstoppable best as they had winners all over the ground. It was rare for the Eagles to get anywhere near their forward 50, and they were unable to score in the first term. On the other hand, the Bombers were charging in and winning every contested possession. A 50 metre penalty after the siren underlined the Eagles’ frustration, and resulted in the Bombers’ sixth goal and a 38-point lead at the first change.
Shell-shocked at quarter time, the Eagles had some work to do to contain the damage. They had some success as the bleeding of goals that was so prominent in the first term dried up in the second; and the Bombers were held to two goals for the quarter. But the Eagles still looked in disarray in the midfield, and the forwards were rarely given any opportunities to shine. There were long faces in the Eagles camp as they returned to the rooms at half time goal-less and trailing by 51 points.
The game was safely won, and the Bombers seemed content to rest on their laurels in the second half. They still had more scoring shots in the third term, although several of them were rushed behinds from an Eagle backline still feeling the pressure. But finally the Eagles managed to create some pressure on the forward line, and the goal drought would finally be broken as the Eagles kicked four goals to three. Against the odds, the Eagles won the quarter, but the Bombers were still 50 points ahead at the last change.
The sting had largely gone out of the contest in the final term. The Eagles, after such a disastrous first half, salvaged some percentage from a game that could have been catastrophic for them on that score with a return of four goals to three in the final term to cut the margin to 44 points. But the Bombers, after the first term, were never in doubt.
Wayd Blackburne spearheaded the North Shore charge as he has so often, with a four goal haul; while around the ground Shaun Crane, Andrew McConnell and Charlie Parsons were ball magnets. Two games clear on top of the ladder and with an imposing percentage; will this be the Bombers’ year?
Jamie Vlatko led the way in the Eagles’ second half salvage effort to finish with four goals, and along with Stuart Turner and Reuben Haupt was among the Eagles’ best. But the game was always going to be about damage control after being jumped in the first quarter; and the loss, together with the hit to their percentage, sees the Eagles drop out of the top five.

Replacing the Eagles in the five is Sydney Uni, after the Students put in a dominant performance on Sydney Uni No 1 to defeat Camden by 83 points.
On the postage-stamp sized campus ground, there’s plenty of goals to be had for a team that goes direct towards goals, and the first half was a shoot-out. The forwards from both teams were creating leads and presenting themselves as forward targets; and a succession of high-flying marks on the Uni forward line created more opportunities. An entertaining and high-scoring opening quarter of footy saw the Students land six goals to four and lead by 16 points at the first change.
Although the game tightened to some degree in the second term, the Students continued to have the edge. With a strong side with most of their big names available, the Students had multiple targets that were keeping the Cats’ defence busy; and while the Cats’ forward line worked hard, there wasn’t a dominant figure that would single-handedly create headaches for the Uni defence. Four goals to two for the quarter saw the Students leading by 29 points at half time.
It was one-way traffic in the premiership quarter, as the Students took control of proceedings and the Cats were never in the contest. The Students were looking good, moving the ball from the centre square to the forward line in the blink of an eye; and the Cats were unable to launch a fightback. The third term would yield six goals to two in favour of the home team; and leading by 52 points at the last change, there was no doubt how this game would unfold.
The last quarter was largely going through the motions, but Sydney Uni were in no mood to let up on the pressure. Sensing an opportunity to build their percentage, they went on with the job in the last quarter, adding five unanswered goals.
An 83-point win was enough for the Students’ percentage to go ahead of East Coast and for them to enter the top five. Tristan Davies was a clear player of the match, kicking eight goals and keeping the crowd entertained with some spectacular marks. Matt Powys chipped in with four goals; and Denim Loffley and Spencer Krochmal picked up plenty of the ball around the ground. The Students have struggled for consistency in 2018, but a performance like this one reminds the footy world what they are capable of.
Damon Franke, Jed Ellis-Cluff and Jordan Ware tried hard all day for the Cats. But it was not a great day for Camden, as the efforts of playing week in week out at this level begins to take its toll. The Cats have had some good efforts this season, and this game was probably their worst for the year. It leaves them two games behind the Students and with a hit to their percentage; and their hopes of playing finals look to be slipping away.

Manly continued their purple patch when they took out their fourth win on the trot, a 103-point win over the struggling UTS at Weldon Oval.
From the start, the Wolves were dominant and the Bats were never in the contest. The Wolves wasted little time in asserting their dominance, and converting the lopsided possession count into scoreboard pressure. The first term would yield six unanswered goals for the Wolves, who were clearly the superior side in every facet of the game in the opening term as they raced to a 36-point quarter time lead.
There was no let up in the second term. The Bats had a single moment of respite to land their only goal of the first half; but the remainder of the quarter saw the Wolves continue as they had in the opening term. Every pack saw a Manly player emerge. Whenever there was a ball in dispute, it would end up in the hands of a Manly player. The Bats were stunned and dis-spirited in another quarter of Wolves dominance that would see six more goals go on the board and the half time lead stretched to 65 points.
The third quarter was closer. With the game safely won, the Wolves weren’t putting as much pressure or speed on as they had in the lopsided first term. But it made little difference to the overall contest; and with three goals to two, the Wolves were well on top at the last change with an advantage of 72 points.
After their period of relative rest in the third quarter, the Wolves again put the foot down in the last and the Bats were again unable to match it with their rampant opposition. The key question was whether the final margin would get to three figures; and the Wolves’ fifth unanswered goal was enough to get them there.
Anthony Robertson was again an effective target up forward to finish with four goals, while Hayden Washington, Sam Wicks and Hamish Ellen picked up myriad possessions around the ground for the Wolves. The 103-point win keeps them in third place, with a handy percentage boost which is immensely valuable in keeping them ahead of their challengers for ladder position.
Rawson Kirkhope, Justin Crameri and Josh Moyle battled tirelessly for the Bats against the odds. But with just three goals for the game, and another heavy defeat, the Bats’ finals chances are gone in all but the most mathematical of calculations. A season that promised much is delivering little.

The remaining clash for the round saw the bottom two teams, Wests and St George, face off at Picken Oval. Highlights for both clubs have been hard to come by this season, but the Dragons received a welcome morale boost with their third win of the season.
There wasn’t much in it in the first quarter. Both clubs were battling hard, and the ball was travelling from end to end with both sides looking for the decisive edge. It was an entertaining quarter of footy, with two desperate teams matching wits and coming out deadlocked; with four goals apiece and the Dragons with a three-point quarter time advantage.
The Dragons took the upper hand in the second quarter. Inspired by another quarter-time rev-up, the Dragons lifted and, sensing an opportunity, established the match-winning break with a quarter of footy that ranks among their best for the season to date. The scoreboard was encouraging for the Dragons, with seven goals to two. But more encouraging is that game plans that had stalled for much of the season began to feel more effective as the Dragons powered away to a half time lead of 35 points.
It was a familiar story for Wests. All season they’ve battled gamely, but haven’t had the firepower to match it with their opposition. And during the third quarter they kept fighting as hard as they could; and managed to win the quarter. The effort of the Magpies can’t be faulted; but a team with limited experience together, under-manned and having to work hard to maintain morale when the losses keep piling up. But they continued to work in the third term, and won the quarter by four goals to three, cutting the margin to 28 points.
The last quarter wasn’t one that reached any great heights. The game was already safely won for the Dragons, and they were counting down to the long-awaited singing of the club song. The Dragons would win the final quarter by three goals to one to extend the winning margin to 41 points.
Nick Ryan was in his best form, as he kicked ten goals in a best-on-ground performance; while Patrick Tegg and Alex Wynn also featured prominently. In a season that has had few highlights for the Dragons, this was a morale-boosting performance.
Callan Dell contributed five goals for the Magpie cause; while Josh Zoppo, Jakson Cowley and Callum McEvoy-Gray were the Magpies’ best. They kept working all day, but were unable to keep up with their opposition. With one win so far this season, the Magpies are now two games behind their nearest rival, and with some work to do in the rest of the season to avoid their second straight wooden spoon.

Black - Confirmed finallistsGreen - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finalsBlue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualifyPurple - Will not be competing in the finalsRed - Wooden spoon